Vodafone Touched the Lives of 8,000 Children by Recycling E-Waste

E-waste collected in the "Waste to Code" project, which was implemented by Vodafone 3 years ago, continues to turn into coding classes. Recycling over 12 tons of e-waste until today, Vodafone touched the lives of about 8,000 children by opening coding classes in 8 provinces.

Continuing to work for a more sustainable world, Vodafone is nationally extending the "Waste to Code" project, launched three years ago, to promote electronic waste recycling and raise awareness. Vodafone turns e-waste into coding classes with the project, touching the lives of around 8,000 children by opening coding classes in 8 provinces until today. While a total of over 12 tons of e-waste was collected within the project, the amount of e-waste collected since the beginning of 2022 has increased 4 times compared to the previous year.

Giving a statementforWorld E-waste Day, Hasan Süel, Deputy Chairman of Executive Board of Vodafone Turkey, stated:

"We greatly value our Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) performance to avoid the environmental risks our planet faces and build a more inclusive society. As a goal-oriented company, we deploy a comprehensive environmental management system to reduce our eco footprint. Ensuring that 100% of our e-waste is recycled or reused is also among our goals. Thanks to the e-waste management we implement by adopting the circular economy model, we reuse, sell or recycle 99% of our e-waste, mainly our network and other informative equipment. With our operations, we focus on both reducing the generation and increasing the recycling of e-waste resulting from our products and services. Thanks to the 'Waste to Code' project, we collect e-waste and ensure that these wastes are recycled by a licensed recycling company. Until today, we have collected over 12 tons of e-waste. With the economic income obtained by recycling, we opened coding classes in 8 provinces and touched the lives of around 8,000 children. As Vodafone, we will continue to transform e-waste into added value, creating both social and environmental impact."

A total of over 12 tons of e-waste was recycled

Combining its goals of supporting education and reducing ecological impact with the "Waste to Code" project, Vodafone collects e-waste received from the homes of employees and business partners and ensures that these wastes are recycled by Akademi Çevre, a certified recycling company. Until today, over 12 tons of e-waste has been recycled with this project, where e-waste, including small house appliances, information equipment, toys, entertainment, and sports equipment are collected. Within the "Coding Tomorrow" project launched in partnership with Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association, coding classes are established in schools thanks to the economic income gained from recycling. With this project, coding classes have been opened in Mardin, Samsun, Adana, Gaziantep, Bingol, Canakkale, Usak, and Bursa until today.

Full support from institutions

Since 2020, the "Waste to Code" project has been receiving support from institutions. Partner institutions collect e-waste with the support of over 28,000 employees in offices and plants in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Bursa, Denizli, Ordu, Kütahya, Batman, Tokat, Sakarya, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Samsun, Tekirdağ, and Giresun. The number of institutions supporting the project has increased to 49 . Uludağ University has recently joined the supporters of the project, which spread to a wide ecosystem with the addition of the Supreme Board Of Organized Industrial Zones (OSBÜK). E-waste will be collected in boxes located on campus, thus encouraging the students to recycle e-waste.

Stores are also included

Vodafone stores have been also included in the "Waste to Code" project. Thus, it is aimed that customers, employees, and corporate business partners also join the project. In the first stage, e-waste will be collected in 99 pilot stores and recycled, thus helping to open new coding classes in different provinces of Turkey.

Those who want to become a corporate supporter of the "Waste to Code" project can contact Vodafone at surdurulebilirlik@vodafone.com.